DEFENCE

Future Aircraft Carrier

Geoff Hoon: I am pleased to announce that we have decided to extend the future aircraft carrier (CVF) programme assessment phase. This extension will enable us to carry out further risk reduction work and increase the maturity of the design prior to making our main investment decision on demonstration and manufacture (D&M). In line with smart acquisition principles, by spending the right amount of time and money in the assessment phase we will gain a better understanding of the technical and supply-side risks before we make any major commitments. We had planned to complete this risk reduction work within the original demonstration phase. The underlying programme has not been adjusted, but rather the point at which we make the main investment decision has shifted.
	We anticipate moving into the D&M phase during 2005, following the main gate decision. At this point we intend to finalise performance, time and cost parameters of the carriers. These will continue to be refined during the remainder of the assessment phase. Our target in service dates (ISO) for the CVF remain 2012 and 2015. When built the two vessels will be the largest and most powerful warships ever constructed in the United Kingdom.
	We have also agreed the alliancing principles with industry for the CVF programme which confirms the commitment of all parties to the programme and to an alliance based on commercial best practice. The alliancing principles will provide the most effective way of managing risk and reward and will bring together all parties with a vested financial interest, thus ensuring that we deliver CVF collaboratively. We will now discuss and agree the detailed alliancing arrangements with industry, including the roles and responsibilities of alliance members.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

UK Civil Plutonium and Uranium

Nigel Griffiths: The Department will be placing the figures for the United Kingdom's stocks of civil plutonium and uranium as at 31 December 2003 in the Library of the House. In accordance with our commitment under the "Guidelines for the Management of Plutonium", we will also be sending the figures to the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who will circulate them to Member States in due course. The figures will be available on the Department's and the IAEA's websites.
	The figures show that stocks of unirradiated plutonium in the UK totalled 96.3 tonnes at the end of 2003. Changes from the corresponding figures for 2002 are a consequence of continuing reprocessing operations (e.g. as reflected in the increased quantity of "unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at reprocessing plants"). Other smaller changes are the result of material being allocated to UK fuel. The decrease in unirradiated separated plutonium held elsewhere is due to both Thorp and magnox reprocessing plants being close to empty during December 2003 whereas they were operating over that period in the proceeding year. The decrease in the civil depleted, natural and low enriched uranium figures reflects the change in requirements for these materials at the fuel fabrication plants and reactors.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Creative Industries Forum on Intellectual Property

Estelle Morris: I am pleased to inform the House that the Government are setting up a creative industries forum on intellectual property. This will be a cross-governmental body, with ministerial representation, and jointly chaired by me and my noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation (Lord Sainsbury), who is making a similar statement to the House of Lords. I am pleased to say that there will also be strong representation from the private sector, both from the creative industries themselves and from other key industry stakeholders such as Internet service providers and hardware manufacturers. Consumers will also be represented.
	The forum will create a dialogue on intellectual property issues, such as business models, education and awareness raising, strategies for maximising the opportunities for the creative industries in a digital environment, while also addressing the challenges such as file sharing and piracy.
	The launch and first meeting of the forum is taking place on 19 July at the London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle. Industry has warmly welcomed the initiative.
	It is anticipated that the forum will work through meetings that will set tasks and objectives to be taken forward. There is intended to be a focus on outputs and deliverables, and I am confident that this will represent a significant development in an area crucial to the UK's future competitiveness.
	Terms of reference and membership of the forum will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses shortly.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Serious Fraud Office

Harriet Harman: The annual report of the Serious Fraud Office has today been published and laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Strategic Plan for Criminal Justice

David Blunkett: Today the Government will publish Command Paper 6288, entitled "Cutting Crime—Delivering Justice: Strategic Plan for Criminal Justice 2004–08". Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The strategic plan for criminal justice sets out the Government's vision for the criminal justice system (CJS) and how we aim to achieve it, combining forces across the Home Office, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Law Officers' Departments.
	The plan focuses on how we will provide a better service to victims and witnesses of crime, increase the number of offences brought to justice, tackle offenders who fail to comply with court dates, fines and sentences and improve the way criminal justice agencies work together. This is closely linked to our overall approach to preventing crime and reducing reoffending, which is set out in a parallel document, the Home Office strategic plan. I will announce the details of that plan to the House in an oral statement later today.
	The Government are committed to ongoing reform of the criminal justice system. The CJS strategic plan explains how much has already been achieved. Huge steps have been made to establish joint working across the CJS—largely through the success of the 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards across England and Wales and the strong leadership of the National Criminal Justice Board. We know these changes are working because we are seeing improvements on the ground. Overall, crime is down by 25 per cent. since 1997. 7 per cent. more offences have been brought to justice in the last two years. The number of crown court trials that fail to go ahead on the day scheduled has fallen by 25 per cent. The number of assets recovered in the last three years has doubled. Public confidence in criminal justice was falling sharply: we have turned this around.
	We have achieved a great deal, but there are still some real issues to tackle. The CJS Strategic plan outlines our key objectives for reform, structured around a vision of the delivery of criminal justice in 2008. To achieve this vision, we need to improve the way agencies work together to support and protect victims and witnesses; we need to further increase the number of offenders brought to justice; we need to tackle offenders who fail to comply with court dates, fines and sentences; and we need to continue progress towards fully joined-up working, including providing the CJS with the information technology it needs to work effectively.
	The goal of these reforms is to deliver a service that responds better to the needs of the communities it is there to serve.
	Improved service for victims and witnesses is at the heart of this. By the end of next year, in all cases where someone is charged with an offence, the victims and witnesses will be offered support by a witness care unit, to make it more likely that they attend court and give evidence. Over the period, Crown court buildings will have separate waiting facilities for prosecution and defence victims and witnesses. The victims fund, which will pay for better support services for victims, will also be boosted by a surcharge on all criminals who are convicted.
	The public also need to know that the offenders will be brought to book and respect for the law will be maintained. The CIS strategic plan sets out how the prosecution will take responsibility for charging, co-operating earlier with the police to identify the correct charge for the offence. It also describes innovative measures to crack down on those who fail to turn up at court or comply with fines and community penalties. Those who breach bail can now expect action to be taken straightaway, and to be punished for this whatever the decision on the original case. We are working hard to make sure that every offender who defaults on their fine is pursued and made to pay it. With our measures on asset recovery it will be the criminal who pays not the community. Our approach includes: increased powers for frontline enforcement staff including search and entry, and new measures and sanctions from the Courts Act 2003 to help recoup fines, including attachment of earnings and deduction of state benefits, and car clamping. And by rolling out direct access to the police national computer (PNC) for all magistrates courts by autumn 2004, we will enable police officers to identify whether an offender is on the run from court or defaulting on a fine or community sentence.
	We will also pilot the community justice centre concept in North Liverpool, bringing new approaches to tackle the low level crime and antisocial behaviour which can make communal life miserable; and to reach offenders and their problems before they progress to serious crime. Court sentences will combine punishment with support to help offenders kick their crime habit. The community will be involved in helping to steer people away from crime.
	To achieve all these goals we need to work in close partnership across the justice system. The development of the National Criminal Justice Board and Local Criminal Justice Boards has made great strides in delivering a more seamless service and better outcomes. To build on this, we are announcing today that, in future, joint working across the CJS will be further strengthened by the establishment of the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on a cross departmental basis. This implements the recommendations of a recent review of CJS capacity published in a parallel document "Criminal Justice Reform: Working Together". This means that the teams driving progress on shared CJS targets will in future report on an equal basis to the Home Office, Department for Constitutional Affairs and Law Officers' Departments. Establishing the Office for Criminal Justice Reform as a shared resource serving all three Departments builds on the firm foundations of what we have achieved, and is a powerful symbol of our resolve to work together effectively to deliver better services for the public.

Reducing Re-Offending

Paul Goggins: I have today placed in the Library of the House copies of the "Reducing Re-offending National Action Plan". This fulfils the Government's commitment to reducing re-offending through greater strategic direction and collaborative working. The plan aims to address the concerns raised in a number of important reports on the theme of rehabilitation, including the social exclusion unit report on "reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners" and the joint thematic report "Through the prison gate" by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prison and Her Majesty's chief inspector of probation.
	Over 60 national action points have been agreed across Government within the key areas to support the rehabilitation of offenders. For each agreed action point, the plan suggests complementary activity for those working at local and regional level to consider. A complementary approach is being developed in Wales led by the correctional services and the Welsh Assembly Government.
	The plan has been set within our radical proposals for improving the management of offenders through the creation of a National Offender Management Service (NOMS). The new service is a key building block in achieving integrated service delivery, with end-to-end case management and co-ordinated interventions focused on individual offenders.
	The delivery of the Plan will be overseen by a cross-Government board of senior officials, chaired by the chief executive of NOMS, including representatives from key government departments responsible for complementary services such as health, education and training, employment and housing.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Regional Planning Guidance for the East Midlands

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is today publishing for public consultation the proposed changes to the draft revised regional planning guidance for the east midlands (RPG8). They follow the public examination into draft revised RPG8 held in November-December 2003.
	RPG8 was issued by the Secretary of State on 24 January 2002 to provide a broad development strategy for the east midlands up to 2021. This also represents the spatial element of the east midlands integrated regional strategy (IRS) and provides the framework for meeting the region's development needs in a way that promotes a more sustainable pattern of development.
	The current revision makes the guidance more concise, more regionally specific, more focused on delivery and with cross references to national policy rather than repetition. However, the revision is not a complete review and several key parts are not revised, including housing provision figures which are retained from the existing RPG8. These will be reviewed at the next full review of RPG8 when it is re-cast as a regional spatial strategy under the principles set out in the new Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act.
	New elements in the draft revision include:
	New policies to promote sustainable economic growth consistent with the region's economic strategy produced by the East Midlands Development Agency;
	A new regional transport strategy which has been informed by a number of major studies in the region;
	Higher targets for improving biodiversity, promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy, and recycling waste
	A new approach to dealing with flood risk
	Proposals for more detailed sub-regional strategies in parts of the region, including areas of Northamptonshire covered by the Milton Keynes and south midlands study.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister supports the broad thrust of the draft revision and has accepted most of the recommendations of the independent panel, many of which have been made to improve clarity and to eliminate as far as possible any ambiguity in the wording of policies. Among the recommendations that my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has accepted is the deletion of a geographically based policy indicating general areas where wind energy proposals might be acceptable and the substitution of a criteria-based policy in line with current Government guidelines as expressed in PPS22.
	However, my right hon. Friend has not accepted the panel's recommendation to delete a policy requiring a review of the Nottingham-Derby green belt to be undertaken. The panel's view was that the policy was superfluous as PPG2 provides adequate guidance for any review. However, since the original Nottingham-Derby green belt was drawn up in the 1980s there has been no overall strategic review of the green belt, and with the development of planning policy, particularly related to the principles of sustainable development, together with the increasing development pressures in the Nottingham-Derby area, the Deputy Prime Minister considers that there is a need for a strategic review of the green belt carried out by all the affected planning authorities in a single exercise, overseen by the regional assembly as regional planning body. The policy and supporting paragraphs are therefore retained and amended accordingly.
	The issue raising most discussion at the public examination related to a policy that proposed a target of a 50 per cent. cut in the predicted growth in traffic without reference to the Government's priority of reducing congestion in urban areas and at key pinch points in the regional road network. The panel rejected this argument and recommended that the policy be retained. The proposed changes, which are endorsed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, omit the original target for traffic growth reduction but retain the principle of reducing traffic growth as one of a series of measures encouraging behavioural change, which also includes the principle of reducing congestion.
	The panel has also suggested that further indicators be included to measure the effectiveness of policies. These require further discussion with regional stakeholders and views on these will be sought during public consultation. This also applies to the inclusion of a new map, which will illustrate the region's environmental and cultural assets.
	I have today written to the east midlands regional assembly with the proposed changes indicating areas where views are particularly sought. There will now be a 12-week period for public consultation on the proposed changes which will end on 8 October 2004.
	Copies of the relevant documents are available in the Libraries of the House and have been provided for all the region's MPs, MEPs and local authorities. Documents are also available on the Government office for the east midlands website http://www.go-em.gov.uk/.

Regional Planning Guidance for Yorkshire and the Humber

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will publish this week for public consultation proposed changes to the draft revised regional planning guidance for Yorkshire and the Humber (RPG12). They follow the public examination into the selective review of RPG12 held in February 2004.
	The panel that held the public examination endorsed the approach taken by the Yorkshire and Humber assembly in the selective review and recommended only modest changes to clarify and refine the document. More radical changes to RPG should await preparation of a regional spatial strategy (RSS),which the assembly is currently working on to prepare a draft by April 2005.
	The proposed changes being published this week reflect this approach. They are largely as recommended by the panel and are modest in nature. They also take account of suggestions made in the public consultation last autumn, the sustainability appraisal carried out on draft revised RPG, and to take account of national policy. The main issues addressed in the selective review of RPG and covered by the proposed changes are as follows:
	Preparation of regional spatial strategy
	The proposed changes clearly set out the timetable and issues to be addressed in the preparation of a new RSS. RSS will build on this selective review of RPG and carry forward a lot of the core strategy. But it will need to look again at a number of important policy areas, such as housing, economic development, waste management and transport priorities. The changes make it clear that this will need to be in the context of the northern way growth strategy.
	Renewable energy
	The panel concluded that draft revised RPG contains appropriate regional and sub regional targets for renewable energy generation to contribute to the national target that renewable energy should provide 10 per cent. of UK electricity supply by 2010 and consistent with the aspiration to reach 20 per cent. nationally by 2020. The proposed changes therefore carry these forward.
	Climate change
	The panel recommend a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the region by at least 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and by at least 25 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2015. These are consistent with the regional economic strategy, make a positive contribution to national targets and are carried forward in the proposed changes.
	Development and flood risk
	The panel commend work done by YHA, the Environment Agency and local authorities to address flooding issues and consider that revised draft RPG provides an integrated and sustainable regional framework. The proposed changes simply seek to further clarify the policy.
	Waste management
	The panel endorse the approach taken in draft revised RPG to the management of municipal waste, including sub-regional targets for recycling/composting and guidance on new facilities that may be required. The proposed changes make a number of detailed changes to clarify the policies and targets. Importantly, they also emphasise the need for urgent, further work for RSS to drive forward the waste management strategy and ensure the delivery of significant numbers of new facilities to allow landfill directive targets to be met.
	Public transport accessibility
	The panel considers that draft revised RPG includes a sophisticated and innovative public transport accessibility policy which should help achieve spatial planning and transport objectives in an integrated way. The proposed changes clarify how the policy will be implemented.
	Strategic transport demand management
	The proposed changes carry forward the panel's recommendation that RPG should set out action that local authorities can take immediately on car parking strategies, a range of actions that can be taken in the short to medium term, and a commitment to take forward area-wide charging in the region if and when there is a national framework in place to support it.
	Transport investment priorities
	The panel considers the list of priorities set out in draft revised RPG to be generally appropriate. They recommend some detailed changes to the way the priorities are presented and to add some management measures (rather than infrastructure improvements). The proposed changes take forward most of these recommendations and ensure that RPG reflects national commitments and Government guidance on the inclusion of regional priorities.
	I will write to the chair of the Yorkshire and Humber assembly this week informing him of publication of the proposed changes. Copies of the proposed changes will be put on the government office for Yorkshire and the Humber website and sent to the region's local authorities and all other interested parties. There will be a 10-week period of consultation which will end on Friday 24 September 2004.

Planning Appeal Procedures

Keith Hill: On 15 January, Official Report, columns 43–44WS, I announced our intention, following a review, to consult on proposals to amend the planning appeals procedures rules and regulations to allow third parties a further opportunity to comment on the main parties' appeal statements at the nine-week stage of an appeal. This would bring the opportunities for third parties to comment in line with the opportunities that local planning authorities and appellants have to make representations.
	We received an overwhelmingly positive response to the proposals. We therefore intend to amend the relevant planning appeals procedures to allow third parties an additional opportunity to make representations on appeals at the nine-week stage as well as the six-week stage. The consultation document, however, made clear that the proposed change to the arrangements would only come into affect once the planning casework system (PCS) was operational. The PCS will facilitate electronic appeals and thus the availability of all appeal documents for inspection on-line/electronically. I now expect this to be in place by March 2005 and we will amend the appeals procedures at that point.

Regional Planning Guidance for the South-East

Keith Hill: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister is today publishing the alterations to chapter 12 of the regional planning guidance for the south-east: the Ashford growth area. This follows the public examination into the draft alterations in December 2003, the panel report in February 2004 and the consultation on the Secretary of State's proposed changes that closed on 17th June 2004.
	The alterations represent a revision to the regional planning guidance for the south-east (RPG9), as published in March 2001. On commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act the alterations will be part of a statutory regional special strategy (RSS).
	The alterations aim to achieve sustainable growth in Ashford, which was identified as a growth area in RPG9. They set out the scale and form of development at Ashford to 2016, and form a special framework for the preparation of local planning documents and other relevant policy documents.
	The consultation period for the proposed changes to the draft alterations ended on the 17 June with 40 responses from individuals or organisations. These mainly related to issues which had already been raised at the public examination and therefore only minor changes to the proposed alterations have been made.

Planning Inspectorate

Keith Hill: I have today laid before the House a copy of the planning inspectorate's annual report and accounts for 2003–04.
	The report gives an overview of the performance of the inspectorate and highlights the ways in which it is contributing to the Government's planning reform agenda. It demonstrates the importance of a credible, accessible planning tribunal service which is open, transparent and impartial.
	Copies of the report have been made available in the Libraries of the House.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Pesticides Safety Directorate

Alun Michael: The 2003–04 annual report and accounts for the pesticides safety directorate were laid before Parliament today.
	Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Illegal Meat Imports

Ben Bradshaw: As required under the Animal Health Act 1981 the Government will publish today a review of controls on the import of animal products for the financial year 2003–04. We welcome the opportunity to report on progress made in the past year.
	Seizures of illegally imported animal products have doubled in the past year. This has been delivered by continuing to follow the three key principles of:
	evidence based policy;
	investment in enforcement; and
	securing better public engagement and awareness.
	Over the course of the year customs has built up its enforcement activity in relation to products of animal origin. There has been a sustained effort inland, at the borders, and overseas, to increase the travelling public's awareness of the restrictions relating to importing products of animal origin. The Food Standards Agency has also worked with local and port health authorities to achieve a step change in the enforcement of controls on imported food inland.
	Also published today is an assessment of the risks of foot and mouth disease and certain pig diseases entering the country through illegally imported meat. This has been refined since last year when it only considered foot and mouth disease. The results of this are available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali/pdf/risk-assessment04.pdf
	The Government will continue to develop their approach to managing the risk posed by illegal imports. Working with all agencies involved, we will continue to build on enforcement activity and work to raise awareness of the rules.
	Copies of the review will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and on the DEFRA illegal imports website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali/pdf/annual-review04.pdf
	The risk assessment is available on the DEFRA illegal imports website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/illegali/pdf/risk-assessment04.pdf
	Hard copies are available on request.